Treasury in
NEW evidence emerged last night that pro-Remain Treasury officials are trying to force Britain to stay under Brussels rule after Brexit.
In a recently-revealed recording of comments made by Charles Grant, director for the Centre of European Reform, he can be heard outlining how the Treasury is attempting to keep Britain in the EU’s customs union.
The revelation follows months of concern that Chancellor Philip Hammond is trying to force Britain to stay under Brussels rule. Last night Brexit group Leave Means Leave demanded an inquiry into the Treasury.
Dictated
Remaining in the customs union means Britain would not be allowed to create its own trade policy and would instead be dictated to from rules drawn up by Eurocrats in Brussels.
However, speaking at a dinner at the strongly pro-EU magazine Prospect in October, Mr Grant said the Treasury had secret papers ready to be used to dissuade politicians from allowing Britain to fully regain its independence.
The revelation comes after a Whitehall paper – arguing that the best option for Britain is to remain in the customs union and single market – was leaked to a website this week.
Ministers branded it an attempt to “undermine Brexit”.
The paper was contradicted by Department for International Trade figures which reveal that Britain’s Brexit boom means exports of services increased by 15.8 per cent to a record £142.7billion in 2016 – driven by financial and insurance industry.
In the recording Mr Grant suggested the parliamentary arithmetic of Labour and Tory rebels could force Britain to stay in the customs union. But crucially he added: “The Treasury is determined to stay in the customs union.
“In private Treasury officials say they know we are going to stay during the transition. They hope that when we are in the transition people will understand the costs of leaving are rather high.
“There are unpublished papers in the Treasury showing that the economic costs of leaving the single market and customs union are much greater than the benefits of free trade agreements with every other country in the world.”
Leave Means Leave co-chairman Richard Tice said: “This confirms what we feared from the start – the Treasury the